Johnson 1

Kamryn Johnson

Composition II

CorrubviusCovarrubias-Powell

20 March 2021

The Taxidermist’s Other Wife

The Taxidermist’s Other Wife (TTOW) is an eerie, creepy, tale that is easily compared to

an episode of The Twilight Zone or a film written by Jordan Peele. TTOW is told from the point

of view of a small-town community, who’s Mayor happens to be a Taxidermist. The story

includes another unnamed character, the Taxidermist’s other wife, hence the title. Each character

can be described as very odd, creepy, and often emotional. Kelly Barnhill, author of “Dreadful

Young Ladies and Other Stories.” uses the characters in TTOW to show how society is made of

imperfectly perfect humans who are corrupted by the thought of being perfect. Barnhill brings

up themes such as self-love, hypocrisy, judgment, and the divine. The well-written piece seems

to challenge the readers to understand that perfection is not defined by excellence,

characteristics, beauty, or lack of flaws. Barnhill explains to the readers: You can NOT recreate

something that already exists or existed, and that one must accept themselves as they are, good or

bad. Lastly, Barnhill’s focus is on self-acceptance one’s divine; and said divine cannot be policed

or defined by those around them. Barnhill cycles her messages back to the overall themes of:

self-acceptance and the divine.

As stated earlier, perfection is not and should not be defined by brilliance, qualities,

glamor, or the absence of imperfection. Often, people’s brilliance is based on their appearance.

Attractiveness is what attracts outside forces,; they are blinded by beauty and assume the
 Johnson 2

brilliance is already there. An example of this would be the Taxidermist’s wife; the community

describes her as “...a sweet, pretty thing. Young. Large eyes. Tight smooth skin...she's perfect.”

(Barnhill p.80). However, as the town got to know her, they realize that all she represents is

beauty. Her porcelain white teeth and pale skin, are nothing but a facade to the town. The

Taxidermist’s wife displays a human on the outside, but there is nothing there on the inside. The

town explains how they pick up the scent “even through [their] scarves, [they] can smell the

formaldehyde on her breath.” (Barnhill p. 88). Formaldehyde (Formalin) is a very important

chemical when it comes to preservation, it is . Typically used to dry out and protect specimens. It

is often used in taxidermy (how ironic) and funeral homes. It has a very distinct smell, and from

personal experience, it is not pleasant. After the town discovers how lifeless the taxidermist’s

wife is, they begin to judge her for not displaying human characteristics. They point out how she

doesn’tdoes not pass gas, snort, cough, or laugh. These are all common humanly things that do

not make a person perfect or imperfect, it makes them human. The town seems to be lost in what

truly makes a person perfect. They seem to struggle with defining what is divine. Is it beauty? Or

is it the little things such as snorting when laughing? The town is being guided by the

Taxidermist himself, who is also misunderstands the meaning of what makes someone perfect.

The Taxidermist is intelligent, and this is shown through his several speeches and lectures

he gives. On the other hand, the town does not buy into anything he says. They often find

irritants when he speaks. As I mentioned earlier, the Town is not fond of the Mayor’s new wife

either. I explained how they picked her apart and judged her on every little thing. Nonetheless, I

failed to mention how they often compared her to Margaret, the Taxidermist's deceased wife.

Though Barnhill does not state what Margaret looked like, or how she smiled, talked, or walked.

She displays how Margaret had a positive effect on the community. This is shown through the
 Johnson 3

emotions and actions of the community when they heard the news of her passing. The town

“..tried to grieve, [they] wanted to drape [their] arms around the Taxidermist to feel his tears

wetting the shoulders of [their] shirts, to wrap his hand with [their] hands and squeeze.”

(Barnhill p.81) Margaret was everything the new wife is not, at least that's what it seems to be.

The Taxidermist said it in his own words, “If the artisan does not love the expired subject on his

table, it is true, the final product will be a cold, dead thing. A monstrosity. A hideous copy of

what once was unique and alive, and beautiful.” (Barnhill . p.81). Meaning, trying to recreate

or better something is unnecessary because it would be a lesser version than the first. This

indicates that the other wife can never replace Margaret. To further explain, think of it this way:

everyone has made memories in their lifetime. Those memories are documented in their minds,

through items, pictures, people, and/or places. Yet, none of those factors can compare to the

actual memory. The feelings and emotions from that exact moment cannot be recreated. They

can bring joy and happiness for a short amount of time. The Taxidermist displays this type of

emotion when it comes to the other wife. Yes, she does bring him happiness, but she does not

bring the same emotions Margaret did. The other wife is nothing but “...memory, and history,

and longing..” (Barnhill p.88). A hideous copy of what once was unique and alive, and

beautiful.

Barnhills has discussed several themes in TTOW, one of my favorites being: self-

acceptance. Self-acceptance is a common struggle amongst many due to the world we live in.

High beauty standards. The author implies that we are all humans who are not even close to

perfect. Still, that does not make us bad people or damaged goods. This quote stuck out like a

sore thumb, and it explains how everyone is “...a collection of faults.” The Taxidermist told us

once. “A myriad of imperfections through which shines divine perfection. You see? It is our
 Johnson 4

flaws that make us beloved by heaven.” (Barnhill. p.84). This is genius because once again, it

cycles back to the theme of self-love. Furthermore, having scars, blemishes, and deformities is

what makes us human. God created us the way we’re supposed to look and be and if you “reveal

the subject as the subject was, you reveal the prints of God.” (Barnhill p.85). Society always

says humanity was created in God’s image; What is more divine than the creator himself? This

would mean that everyone is divine in their own way. Once society learns to accept themselves,

the more they can reveal their own divinity, and be comfortable in their god-crafted layers.

In addition to the previous points, Barnhill reels in her final themes: corruption,

judgment, and hypocrisy. I discussed how self-acceptance is commonly influenced by highly

judgmental, external forces. Whether it be through social media, a public high school, even in

religious places. People will always find room for judgment, and the more people try to construct

what is good and bad, Is when they lose sight of what is right and wrong. Society gets caught up

in policing one another and determining what makes someone good or bad. The Taxidermist,

who seemingly enjoys giving speeches, explains to the town that the more they attempt to “force

[their] corrupted idea of the Perfect and Good upon what is actually and deeply Perfect and

Good, the farther [they] are from the divine.” (Barnhill . p.84). Now, as much as I enjoyed the

Taxidermist's influential words, HE ATE THEM RIGHT AFTER.they meant nothing because he

did not act upon them. The Taxidermist is not only the main character, but he is a huge symbol

of judgment and hypocrisy. His god-complex (narcissism) affects him and thus causes him to

lose sight of his own teachings. While he is spreading the words of what is truly divine, he also

becomes a victim of corruption. The Taxidermist stated earlier in the text that you cannot

recreate what already existed. Nevertheless, he then swallows his words after telling the town

that “We can preserve the memory- in its perfection, in its state of bliss, and we preserve
 Johnson 5

ourselves.” (Barnhill . p.88). Barnhill uses the Taxidermist as a prime example of what

judgment, hypocrisy, and corruption look like.

Being a “good and perfect.” human is not defined by how you act, dress, speak, or smile.

It's about being alive, having flaws, and not losing sight of the true meaning. We cannot

recreate the same scars, or flaws in another human life (it's what makes you unique). The

more we accept who we are, the more other people will as well. Unless G-O-D allows

humans part-time jobs as the Anubis (the Egyptian god) of the world. No one has the

right to judge you as a person, other than the man upstairs. Barnhill’s excellent writing further

explores the themes of corruption, judgment, self-confidence, and hypocrisy. She uses her

characters as tools to construct and present her message to the readers. Barnhill’s message to the

reader is to accept who you are as a person.

Works Cited

Barnhill, Kelly. “The Taxidermist’s other Wife.” Dreadful Young Ladies & Other Stories,

Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2018, pg. 77-89.

Reflection

1. What is the purpose of the project you created and how do you think the piece achieves

its purpose?

a. The purpose of this project is to practice writing, analyzing, and using evidence to

construct an argumentargument.

2. Who is the audience? How did this impact your choice of medium? In other words, why

is the medium (the blog or newsletter) the best choice for your audience AND purpose?
 Johnson 6

a. The audience isn’t specific; However, I did have to target readers who aren’t into

horror or sci-fi. Several people don’t enjoy stories that cause eerie and confusing

emotions. Most people do not like mystery, or thrillers because it can take away

from the overall movie. Some people just like simple movie plots.

3. What were your impressions of the technology you chose to compose with for this

project? Was it easier composing with this technology than it was during the Media Lab?

Why or why not? How did the two Media Labs help you prepare for creating this

assignment?

a. The previous SWAs were really helpful because it gave me insight on how to

prepare my writing. Sometimes I tend to give too much detail, or I may forget to

restate my thesis, or I may not even elaborate on my thesis in the introduction.

However, I think I did a better job.

4. What rhetorical decisions impacted your decision to choose this technology? What were

the challenges with technology that you faced in this project? How did you overcome

these challenges? What was easiest about using this technology and what did you like?

a. The challenges I faced were structure. I tried to elaborate on my points, without

overindulging the paragraphs. Yes, this was five pages, BUT noBUT no one

wants to drown in an extremely long paragraphparagraph.

5. Did you try a different program than what you used in the Media Labs? Why or why not?

a. I did not try a new program,program; I chose to stay with google docs because I

like the user-friendliness. Not to mention it makes it easier to add page numbers,

indentions, etc.
 Johnson 7

6. If you did try something different, how do you think it worked—better or worse—and

why?

a. I think if I made it into a slideshow, with photos, it would have been more visual.

I tried my best to add the imagery into the text.

7. What else would you want your instructor to know about the project and your choices

that will help her give you feedback?